The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model In the World Since 1950 [Hardcover]

Tony Lewin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 25, 2004

The Complete Book of BMW is a master work. The word 'definitive' is a bold claim but this book should be viewed in this light. It is the most comprehensive survey of BMW Group models from the 501 right up to this year's 1 and 6 Series published in the English language. Data tables covering specifications, production volumes and prices will be invaluable to the BMW enthusiast and the layout and production volumes are second to none. Tony Lewin deserves high praise for this outstanding book. - Chris Willows, Corporate Communications Director, BMW Great Britain BMW is the most remarkable phenomenon to hit the auto industry in a generation. Celebrated for its luxury sports cars, motorcycles and aero engines in the pre-war era, it squandered its glamorous heritage in the 1950s; on its knees and near-bankrupt, it was rejected as a lost cause when offered by desperate banks to Mercedes-Benz. But thanks to a wealthy German aristocrat, a brilliant engineer and a young and inspirational manager, Mercedes would soon regret not having scooped up the once-glorious firm: pioneering the concept of the compact, high-quality sports saloon, the visionary new team systematically built BMW into the spectacular success we know today. Through the most expressive medium of all - the cars themselves - The Complete Book of BMW tells the story of one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the century. From the iconic 2002tii of the 1960s through the mighty M3 of the 1990s to today's born-again MINI and the crowning glory of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.- Every model since 1962- Technical specifications and performance data- Production and sales data- Key decisions that made BMW great- Von Kuenheim's brilliant template- Taking technology leadership- 1,600 color photographs- The new focus: premium at every levelAbout the AuthorTony Lewin is an automotive writer and commentator specializing in the business and design sides of the auto industry. He has reported on the automobile sector for more than two decades as editor of industry publications such as What Car?, Financial Times Automotive World and World Automotive Manufacturing, and as a regular columnist in magazines and newspapers in Europe, Japan and the United States.General AudienceThe Complete Book of BMW tells the remarkable story of the company and its cars. From the luxury sports cars and motorcycles of the pre-war era through its rebirth at the hands of a wealthy German aristocrat, a brilliant engineer, and an inspired manager during the past two decades, the book uses the most expressive medium of all-the cars themselves-to illustrate the story of one of the most remarkable turnarounds in automotive history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Roundel, August 2005 (circ.: 65,000)

“Occasionally, a book comes along that is important to have on your bookshelf not because it’s the most engrossing to read, but because of the sheer completeness and accuracy of its contents. The Complete Book of BMW is one such book."

About the Author

Tony Lewin has spent most of his working life driving cars, analyzing them and reporting on the ups and downs of the global enterprises that build them. As a writer and editor for Automotive News Europe he has kept a constant watch on the world's top carmakers for many years. Today, Lewin divides his time between journalism and books. He lives in East Sussex, England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (December 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760319510
• ISBN-13: 978-0760319512
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #633,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too many typos and omissions, September 24, 2005

By 

J. M. Owens (Blacksburg, VA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model In the World Since 1950 (Hardcover)

I bought this book hoping for a comprehensive, encyclopedic reference for BMWs from 1950 onward...sort of what "The Complete Book of BMW..." might lead you believe. Unfortunately, nearly every other page there are typos (referring to one model when they clearly mean another), omissions (no stats for the e28 535i???), and stupid errors (several of the production tables are blatently wrong, like that there were 60 318ti's produced in 1995; others don't add up, like the 6 series table that states: 972 + 3,325 + 3,668 = 5). I wrote to the publisher with my disappointment, and they never got back to me.

Though this book has lots of pretty pictures, and no doubt lots of correct info, I am left wishing I had put my money toward something else. A book with a cover price of $60 (thank goodness amazon sells it less) should at least have a few editors read through it, or even some enthusiast proofreaders. I counted no less than 10 errors in my first hour of skimming, and I'm only moderately knowledgeable about BMW history. Maybe the second edition will be an improvement...if it gets that far.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive, November 19, 2006

By 

J. J. Noh (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model In the World Since 1950 (Hardcover)

The book is almost four hundred pages long, but most of that is pictures
and the type is pretty big. So, you can probably finish the book in a
couple of sittings.

I'm pretty familiar with the BMW story, and I did not find many inaccuracies. The book is written from a European perspective. So, torque is given in N m instead of in lb ft. And money is listed in
DM, pound sterling or in Euros, but most books on BMW are written from
European point of view.

I will say that the copy editor probably was not very interested in the
subject matter or familiar with BMW. So, there are a few mistakes
in the text, but all in all the book was thorough and comprehensive.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big BMW Book, January 18, 2007

By 

Stephen R. Stokes - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model In the World Since 1950 (Hardcover)

It's a big glossy book all right....but spends about 75% of its space on specs.